Cannabis, more commonly known as marijuana, is a genus of flowering plants that includes at least three species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. The use of cannabis for social and medical purposes has been known for almost of all humanity's recorded history. Cannabis is most commonly administered via inhalation or consumption of marijuana-infused food and drink.
Since 1972 marijuana has been classified as a Schedule I drug under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act because the U.S. Federal Government considers it to have “no accepted medical use.” In stark contrast to this position, 18 of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have recognized the medical benefits of cannabis and have decriminalized its medical use. The 18 U.S. states where medical marijuana has been decriminalized as of the filing date of the present application are as follows: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. The residency requirements, approved list of conditions/diseases, and the other laws/rules regarding the possession and cultivation of medical marijuana generally differ by state.
Despite the official position of the U.S. Federal Government and as recognized by the states that have legalized it, cannabis has been shown to provide substantial and varied medical benefits. Cannabis is regularly used by a wide cross-section of society to treat a variety of maladies, conditions and symptoms including, but not limited to, the following: nausea, glaucoma, lack of appetite, mucous membrane inflammation, epilepsy, leprosy, fever, obesity, asthma, urinary tract infections, coughing, anorexia associated with weight loss in AIDS patients, pain, and multiple sclerosis.
Cannabis intoxication (i.e., euphoria, relaxation) can occur and other side effects may also accompany its use, particularly with higher doses, specific cannabis varieties and/or over prolonged periods of usage. Undesirable side effects of using the available THC-predominant cannabis varieties can include, but are not limited to, the following: decreased short-term memory, dry mouth, impaired visual perception and motor skills, erectile dysfunction, lowers fertility, red (i.e., blood shot) eyes, increased anxiety, occasional infarction, stroke, paranoia, acute psychosis, lowered mental aptitude, hallucinations, bizarre behavior, irrational panic attacks, irrational thoughts and various other cognitive and social problems.
Some of the negative or undesirable side effects from using available cannabis varieties for medical purposes are related to the plant's content of the chemical A9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). A major hurdle to the more wide-spread acceptance of cannabis and its legalization is that the land races and commercially available cannabis genotypes (of drug varieties) contain relatively high concentrations of THC. There is a real need for cannabis varieties for potential medical use that produce modulated THC concentrations and varying concentrations of other pharmacologically active substances that reduce the negative side effects of THC and increase the medical benefits realized from its use. The inventions described herein meet that long-felt need.